Slowtwitch Forums: Triathlon Forum: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ?

Calendar Retailers Stack & Reach Custom Geometry Calculator Online Training Log
		MAIN INDEX	RULES & LEGEND	LOG IN

Search for (options)

Newsletter Signup

Slowtwitch Forums: Triathlon Forum:
Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ?

shamrocktri

Jul 3, 08 9:07

Post #1 of 11 (494 views)

Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ?	Can't Post

Looking forward to this race. It should be perfect weather in a great venue. The point to point 70.3 is logistically annoying on saturday, but should prove for a fun day and a beautiful course.

Anybody ridden the course?

LTO'C

"Someone in the world is training when your are not, when you race him, he will win."

eganski

Jul 3, 08 9:24

Post #2 of 11 (486 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [shamrocktri] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm in...sister rowed at Brown so this was this excuse I needed to go back and hit that Hot Dog place on Thayer Street.

Only thing I know about this race is that there's an awesome hot dog place on Thayer Street.

http://web.me.com/...My_Blog/My_Blog.html

K Noonien Singh

Jul 3, 08 9:40

Post #3 of 11 (469 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [shamrocktri] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I posted this a few weeks ago. Pretty psyched for this one to get underway. Here it is:

The swim is in the Harbor of Refuge. It is a protected harbor on the southern coast of Rhode Island, just west of Pt. Judith Light. The area is a man made breakwater with two entrances. The only time it gets bumpy in there is when there is a big swell on from the south east (great place to surf)...does not happen to often. Current is really not much of an issue unless you are close to the entrance to Great Salt Pond.

Here is my back-of-the-pack-hack impression of the ride. Take it for what it is worth...

Starting out on Sand Hill Cove Rd. to Ocean Rd - this section of the course is nice and flat and is the most exposed to wind off of the water. There should be southerlies this time of the year. In the AM it is usually dead calm. The road itself is nice and there is a decent amount of room. I would expect not too much traffic before 7:30...anytime after that on a nice weekend and things will be jammed.

As Ocean Rd leaves the southern beaches the road winds a couple of miles until you get to the 'pier' area and the Coast Guard House (hard to miss....big stone structure going across the road next door). It gets nice and straight and the road is in decent shape. Going past the Narragansett Town Beach the road opens up a bit and becomes 4 divided lanes...again, flat and fast. The lanes narrow into Boston Neck Rd. There is a decent amount of room on the shoulder here and the roads are in good shape pretty much all the way to Wickford.

The course cuts over to a side road on the way to Rt. 1 and 102. This road is a bit narrow. Rt. 1 is another 2 lane road with a decent shoulder. Taking a left onto 102 and heading west, you will find that the population starts to drop off a bit and the roads become somewhat less traveled (especially when you get past the Rt. 4 overpass).

Rt. 102 and Rt. 3 is a mixed bag. Some rolling hills and the roads are fair. In my experience these roads are not as well traveled as others in Rhode Island. I usually train on these roads and I have not found it to be all that bad. I would agree that this is the most difficult section of the course. When you get on Rt 3 the road gets much better...smooth ride and there is a very nice downhill through the Big River Reservation area. As you get into Division Rd you will get more rolling hills and, again, mediocre roads.

Shippetown Rd into Crompton is nice and wide with a little bump going over Rt 95. The roads were pretty messy through here and you start to get back to a denser population. There is a nice down hill towards Rt 3 as you pass the pond...wide road and in decent shape. Look out for nitwits crossing the road without looking. There is construction on Sandy Bottom Rd toward Washington St. but nothing to be concerned about. Pretty flat through the town of Coventry.

The course continues north on Rt 116 toward Scituate. There is a gradual rise out of Coventry that flattens out quickly. This part of the course is very scenic...the only thing I did not like was the lack of a decent shoulder to ride on. There are also a few rough spots as you head toward the northern section of 116. There is a short hill coming out of Hope Village and then a nice downhill before my favorite section of the course...

The right turn up Rt. 12 is hateful...especially for a big dude like myself. Nice and steep (for me). After a gradual flattening out there is a slow slope toward Comstock Pkway. Should be pretty fast from the top of Scituate through to Atwood Ave. Simmonsville Ave is quick and easy and bottoms out as you cross Atwood to Centerville Ave.

Centerville Ave to the Silver Lake section of Providence is mostly neighborhood....it goes from GOOD to BAD very quickly (as do the roads). Plainfield to Pocasset to Valley is just hateful. Very surprised that the route runs through here. Watch the road as it is pretty much sucks....unfilled potholes, etc... Orms to Smith and into T2 is OK. Be thankful that you do not have to run through there!

OK - that is my take on the bike course. Please keep in mind that it comes from a hack who should have stuck to sailing full time instead of coming up with a plan to be an endurance athlete.

Anyone want to know how much the run course sucks? Hint, the used part of the run course as a street luge course during the X-games. From the transition area you run to the base of Thomas St and Angel St. Both are part of a very nice hill...not very long but quite steep. After the hills you basicly have flat course until the base of Blackstone Blvd...mostly through Brown University. The Blvd is 1.9 miles of a slight rise. U - turn at the top of Blackstone and back to the transition area. Do loop again. DONE. UPDATE: I ran the course last week in 90+ degree heat with equal humidity. There was a breeze on but the course does not get much, if any, breeze relief. Just my 2 cents.

VM

Sweep the leg...

John Hirsch

Jul 4, 08 20:39

Post #4 of 11 (420 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [eganski] [In reply to]	Can't Post

SPIKES! Dude that place is awesome.

if you eat 6 then you get a pic on the wall. I lived there. post race i am gonna do it (with there tofu pups as I am a vegetarian). The inside scoop is that if you mix up the type of dogs you get then you will make it. I think the record is in the 30s.

Oh the course is gonna be fun. The swim will be fast, the bike fair, and the run hard. I did COX cable classic the same race companies bike cycling event and they know how to do a big production so this should have that "big race" feel. Cox had that.

In fact COX was BIG, yep BIG COX. People came just to RIDE COX. I heard the female athletes LOVED COX. COX was HARD and the competion was STIFF, I could do this all night...

swim203

Jul 8, 08 17:06

Post #5 of 11 (331 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [I hate everyone] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Nice description. Don't forget those double wide grates on Comstock Parkway that will swallow up your wheels if you're not paying attention. Good thing that road is only a half mile.

And it's not just bigger guys that hate that climb onto RT 12. At 5'11" 160 I hate that climb too.

bsc0034

Jul 9, 08 18:33

Post #6 of 11 (268 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [shamrocktri] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Liam, I emailed you back in the fall about JRM as a coach, thanks for the thumbs up, ive seen some great improvements that I attribute to his regimes. Hoping for a big day at RI 70.3. You going off in the elite wave or AG?

Goodluck
Evan
sponsorhouse.loopd.com/Members/evanbUCONN

joonya

Jul 10, 08 10:48

Post #7 of 11 (211 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [shamrocktri] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Does anyone know where I can find the start list for the pros? If not, does anyone have idea who will be there?

ochman_a

Jul 10, 08 11:02

Post #8 of 11 (200 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [shamrocktri] [In reply to]	Can't Post

It is my understanding at RI there was no "elite-male or elite-female" AG group raceers going off other than the pro wave, a'la timberman... At least I get to sleep in an extra hour being in the 19-29M group 7:05, ha. Weekend looks like it will be great for racing. Good luck to everyone.
Vita Coco www.vitacoco.com
http://www.elitebicycles.com/
www.infinitnutrition.com Coupon T3Tri $5 off
Maxxis Tires
Oomph Sports

shade

Jul 10, 08 11:08

Post #9 of 11 (194 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [swim203] [In reply to]	Can't Post

This will be my first HIM and extended salt water swim...so it should be interesting. So where exactly are these double wide grates?
My wife and I are heading up with another couple from the Scranton Area early Friday Morning. My friend and I hope to get a good look at the course and hopefully sneak in a quick swim.

Best of luck everyone!

Shade

nyfan21

Jul 10, 08 13:15

Post #10 of 11 (156 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [shade] [In reply to]	Can't Post

This is my first HIM and my first salt water swim. Going down on Saturday morning to stay at a friends house. Can't wait....I will be the idiot with the gray Cervelo P2SL. Not looking forward to the swim but the bike and the run I plan on gaining ground.
-M

Easyrhino72

Jul 10, 08 13:27

Post #11 of 11 (146 views)

Re: Providence 70.3 ? Rollcall ? Info ? [nyfan21] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Any idea how many folks are signed up? My wife is doing it. Its her first HIM. Good luck to all. ER72